News Release

UDM Student Athletes Record Highest Graduation Rate in State

University of Detroit Mercy student-athletes have once again received high marks in the annual Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figures released Thursday by the NCAA. For the second-straight year the school boasts the highest rate in the State of Michigan (88) among the schools that offer athletic programs at the Division I level. The Titans also had six teams with perfect GSR scores. Overall, the numbers show that Division I student-athletes continue to perform well in the classroom, and more of them are graduating.

From 2002-2005, Graduation Success Rates at UDM included six teams with perfect scores from women's cross country/track & field, women's fencing, women's golf, women's tennis, men's fencing and men's golf. Also both the Titan women's golf and men's fencing programs posted perfect scores in the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR), while UDM recorded an overall FGR score of 69 which ranks fourth in the state.

“The latest figures clearly indicate the commitment to academic success that our student-athletes, athletic department and University have,” said Steve Corder, UDM's Assistant Athletic Director for NCAA Compliance. “This is a clear indication of the fact that when a student-athlete comes to the University of Detroit Mercy, our highest priority is for them to graduate.”

The GSR for the last four graduating classes of all Division I student-athletes (2002-2005) remains at 80 percent, still an all-time high for the NCAA. The most recent one-year GSR for the 2005 class is 81 percent, down one point from last year. Most other sports remained steady or were down slightly in year-to-year comparisons.

“We are not satisfied, but we are proud that we have reached another milestone, as now seven out of every 10 student-athletes in our highest profile sports are earning their degrees,” said Mark Emmert, NCAA president.

The NCAA's Graduation Success Rate includes transfer students and student-athletes who leave in good academic standing, unlike the federal graduation rate, which does not count transfers. The GSR and federal rate calculations measure graduation over six years from first-time college enrollment.

The federal graduation rate, while less inclusive than the GSR, provides the only measure of historic academic comparison between student-athletes and the general student body. By this standard, student-athletes consistently outperform nearly all their peers in the student body.

The latest data show that Division I student-athletes who entered college in 2005 equaled their highest federal graduation rate of 65 percent – two percentage points higher than the general student body at Division I institutions.

The University of Detroit Mercy is Michigan's largest private Catholic University, with more than 100 academic majors and programs. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy, the University has campuses located in downtown and northwest Detroit.

UDM is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and the largest of 17 Mercy institutions of higher education in the United States. For the 14th consecutive year, University of Detroit Mercy is listed in the top tier of Midwest regional universities in the 2015 edition of the U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges" rankings.